League is more than just a sport

Greetings to all our rugby league family and welcome to our 18th edition of Fulltime Reserve, a weekly column to discuss all matters rugby league in our favourite newspaper The National.
The spike in the Covid-19 cases in the country and the Government’s actions to impose further restrictions on social events and public mobility to manage the pandemic has again impacted our rugby league programmes across Papua New Guinea.
The PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and the PNG PNG Sports Foundation presented a submission to the national pandemic controller last week for the country’s premier rugby league competition, the Digicel Cup, to continue under strict guidelines in line with the Banis Protocols.
The submission was approved by the controller and we are pleased to note also that the protocols were also shared with other sports which were also approved to run their elite programmes.
PNGRFL will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that our programmes are managed and delivered in an environment that safeguards the health and welfare of our players, officials, their families and the country.
Rugby league and other elite sports in PNG are not only a part-time leisure or social activity but more importantly an industry that employs many people, supports local businesses and contributes to national development on both the social and economic fronts.
Sport is also a nation-building tool that empowers people and unites our communities and country.
Nelson Mandela once said: “Sports have the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire.
“It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. They speak to youths in a language they understand.
“Sports can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers.”
Mandela realised the transformative and unifying power of sports, and used that to bring change and unite a racially-divided South Africa which diplomacy and government authority could not.
Over the years, rugby league and other sports in PNG have done and continue to do their fair share in the development and unification of our diverse country of a thousand tribes and languages to take its rightful place in the world.
PNGRFL, through it programmes, continues to build strategic partnerships with governments and other development partners at all levels to harness and leverage the power and influence of rugby league to inspire and create positive social and economic outcomes for our country.
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Until next week, may the grace, love and care of our Good Lord be with you.

Cheers,
Sandis